Nora Cata, Marketing Specialist at the Stanford Center for Professional Development joins the Social Pros podcast to discuss the importance of leveraging platform experts to ensure that social media campaigns hit their mark Huge thanks to our amazing sponsors for helping us make this happen. Please support them; we couldn't do it without their help! This week: Salesforce Marketing Cloud Full Episode Details Nora Cata, the Marketing Specialist at the Stanford Center for Professional Development joins the Social Pros podcast to explain the importance of forming relationships with platform representatives and experts. Nora has spearheaded some pretty bold and daring social media campaigns during her time as a marketer, but her confidence isn’t just on account of her wealth of knowledge. Over the years, she has formed solid connections with platform representatives which, in turn, gives her more insights into what works and what doesn’t. She delves into some of the great work she’s done as a result of her affiliation with platform representatives in LinkedIn and even Google. She also offers a few pointers on how to get in touch with some of these platform representatives, ranging from networking to simply asking nicely. In This Episode: 03:49 - Nora gives some insight into what the Stanford Center for Professional Development does 04:54 - How the Stanford Center for Professional Development carries out its very precise marketing strategy 08:52 - Nora describes her typical target market 10:48 - How virtual engagement has spiked since the pandemic 13:12 - Nora discusses virtual content and how she uses it 17:22 - The inspiration behind their out-of-the-box virtual content 18:49 - How communicating with platform reps boosts the success of a social media campaign 22:43 - Nora shares tips to get in touch with a platform rep 25:34 - How Nora’s team is structured and how that contributes to her success 28:58 - Who gets credit for what on Nora’s team 30:37 - What Nora looks for in metrics 32:09 - How Nora manages the messaging for two different brands under one umbrella 38:11- Nora’s advice for anyone looking to become a social pro Resources Stanford Center for Professional Development Nora Cata’s Twitter Nora Cata’s LinkedIn Get the new State of Marketing report for free from Salesforce Visit SocialPros.com for more insights from your favorite social media marketers.

Whitney Magnuson, Senior Director, Social Marketing at Northwestern Mutual, is on Social Pros this week to talk about the strategy behind making finance content fun on social media. Huge thanks to our amazing sponsors for helping us make this happen. Please support them; we couldn't do it without their help! This week: Salesforce Marketing Cloud Full Episode Details Whitney Magnuson, Senior Director, Social Marketing at Northwestern Mutual, joins Social Pros to give us a window into how her team creates fun and engaging social content. Whitney explains how social media is a team effort that goes beyond the marketing department and how financial advisors use their expertise to pitch in with ideas. She also shares the challenges of creating content for such a highly regulated industry. Memes and pop culture might not be what you expect from a financial services giant like Northwestern Mutual, but the social team pulls it off with a nice balance between fun and informative content. Whitney also shares Northwestern Mutual’s approach to working with influencers and why they focus more on micro-influencers who represent everyday people. As a self-proclaimed data junkie, Whitney also explains why data is so important in this field and how it can help you tweak and fine-tune your social strategy. In This Episode: 5:57 – Whitney fills us in on what Northwestern Mutual offers 7:50 – How Whitney helps financial professionals with their social media efforts 10:24 – How to navigate compliance regulations on social media 11:35 – How Whitney and her team makes financial content fun 14:23 – Why Northwestern Mutual uses a very different tone on social 17:10 – How Northwestern Mutual went from being “the quiet company” on social to a social-first organization 19:11 – Advice for taking over a new social media team 21:11 – How Whitney’s background as an attorney plays into her current role 22:55 – Where influencers fit into Northwestern Mutual’s marketing strategy 26:59 – How Whitney picks influencers to work with 28:44 – How customer relationships with financial advisors have changed since COVID 31:06 – Why data is one of the most important parts of social media 34:49 – Northwestern Mutual’s focus on younger customers 37:37 – Why LinkedIn content differs from Instagram content 38:55 – Why Whitney isn’t a huge fan of Reels 43:26 – Whitney’s top tip for anyone looking to become a social pro Resources Get the new State of Marketing report for free from Salesforce Onalytica B2B Influencer Compensation Report Northwestern Mutual’s Twitter Northwestern Mutual’s Facebook page Northwestern Mutual’s LinkedIn Northwestern Mutual’s Instagram Northwestern Mutual’s YouTube channel Whitney’s blog - Mrs. Millennial Visit SocialPros.com for more insights from your favorite social media marketers.

Chad Colemen, the VP of Brand Partnerships & Digital Engagement at Dude Perfect, joins the Social Pros podcast to discuss the dynamics of brand partnerships and how to discover what works and what doesn’t. Huge thanks to our amazing sponsors for helping us make this happen. Please support them; we couldn't do it without their help! This week: Salesforce Marketing Cloud Full Episode Details Chad Colemen, the VP of Brand Partnerships & Digital Engagement at Dude Perfect, is on the Social Pros podcast to share the ins and outs of forming and maintaining brand partnerships. As a fan of golf and a proficient digital marketer, Chad admits that he’s landed his dream job. However, it’s every bit a job as the next role. It’s not all trick shots and hanging with the Dudes for him. He juggles a number of behind-the-scenes duties, including managing all the brand partnerships that come their way. Chad offers a peek behind the curtains at how Dude Perfect picks brand partners and what goals need to align before the partnership is considered successful. He also paints a vivid picture of what the wrong partnership looks like and how partner expectations have evolved with the success of Dude Perfect. In This Episode: 7:04 - What the Dude Perfect’s creative process looks like 13:31 - Chad’s description of a typical week at Dude Perfect 15:31 - Chad’s elevator pitch for his job role at Dude Perfect 17:21 - How Chad’s role has evolved with over the years 23:24 - How Dude Perfect vets brand partnerships 26:49 - How advertiser expectations have changed with the success of Dude Perfect 30:49 - Why embedded marketing messages work better Dude Perfect 39:14 - How Dude Perfect manages varying social media algorithms 45:44 - Chad’s top tip for people looking to be social pros Resources Get the new State of Marketing report for free from Salesforce Chad Coleman’s Twitter Dude Perfect’s Twitter Visit SocialPros.com for more insights from your favorite social media marketers.

Neil Hoyne, the Chief Measurement Strategist at Google, joins the Social Pros podcast to talk about the untapped potential of data and how marketers and social pros alike can leverage it. Huge thanks to our amazing sponsors for helping us make this happen. Please support them; we couldn't do it without their help! This week: Salesforce Marketing Cloud Full Episode Details Neil Hoyne, Chief Measurement Strategist at Google and author of the book Converted: The Data Driven Way to Win Consumers’ Hearts, is on the Social Pros podcast to address an issue plaguing most organizations today — what do we do with all this data? Neil explains that the journey from one data driven decision to ten of them is a gradual and progressive one. He also discusses the need to use timely and relevant data on account of the dynamism of customer behavior. Drawing from a few excerpts from his book, Neil answers seemingly simple but pertinent questions such as “why marketers don’t as the right questions” and “whether aspiring marketers should dabble in courses like psychology.” In This Episode: 06:31 - What it takes to handle the monumental amount of data available today 10:16 - Neil highlights the importance of having real-time consumer data 13:15 - Three reasons why marketers don’t ask the right questions 16:07 - What prevents companies from embracing lifetime value 19:55 - How to demonstrate the lifetime value of social media without the math 22:41 - How social pros can successfully chase the same objective as other parts of an organization 26:02 - Neil’s take on whether social media practitioners should also do measurement and analytics 29:59 - Why Neil believes acquisition is the best way to build your business using social media 32:38 - Why all organizations need some semblance of a Chief Digital Officer role 34:46 - Why Neil advises marketing students to work across disciplines 37:08 – Neil’s top tip for those looking to become a social pro Resources Get the new State of Marketing report for free from Salesforce Grab the Social Pros Turns 500 free commemorative eBook Neil Hoyne’s Twitter Converted: The Data-Driven Way to Win Customers’ Hearts Visit SocialPros.com for more insights from your favorite social media marketers.

Tim Williams, CEO of Onalytica, joins the Social Pros podcast to talk about the power and rising popularity of influencer marketing in the B2B space. Huge thanks to our amazing sponsors for helping us make this happen. Please support them; we couldn't do it without their help! This week: Salesforce Marketing Cloud Full Episode Details Tim Williams, CEO of Onalytica, is on the Social Pros podcast to discuss the rise of B2B influencers, how much they get paid, and the best practices for working with them. Tim takes us into the story of what Onalytica does for brands and shares why he thinks influencers have become so key to the marketing world. He explains that there’s a major trust problem with brands, meaning that marketing is starting to lose its effect – paving the way for influencers to save the day.   Tim discusses Onalytica’s recent B2B Influencer Compensation Report and what the data shows about how much influencers are paid around the world. He also shares some red flags that brands and influencers should watch out for before starting a partnership. In This Episode: 4:08 – Tim explains the different stages businesses want to work with influencers 5:58 – Why influencers are replacing the trust that brands have lost 8:14 – How B2B has started to embrace influencer marketing 10:54 - What the B2B Influencer Compensation Report says about payments 14:40 – How the expectations of influencers differ around the world 17:37 – How to measure the effectiveness of B2B influencers 20:25 – Deciding how many influencers and what type of influencers to hire 22:41 – How the demand for influencers is creating new roles in the B2B space 25:40 – Tim explains the difficulty of managing influencers in a broader business structure 28:03 – How Onalytica helps clients determine what employees would make good influencers 30:07 – How the expectations of influencers have changed 35:27 – Tim explains how influencer marketing and account-based marketing will work together 38:56 – Red flags that influencers should be aware of before working with a brand 43:58 – Tim’s top tip for someone wanting to become a social pro or an influencer marketing manager Resources Get the new State of Marketing report for free from Salesforce B2B Influencer Compensation Report Visit SocialPros.com for more insights from your favorite social media marketers.

Jess Zafarris, Director of Audience Engagement at Adweek, joins the Social Pros podcast to chat about one of the most important aspects of social media - audience engagement. Huge thanks to our amazing sponsors for helping us make this happen. Please support them; we couldn't do it without their help! This week: Salesforce Marketing Cloud Full Episode Details Jess Zafarris, Director of Audience Engagement at Adweek and author of the book Once Upon a Word, knows how to get people talking online. As head of audience engagement, it’s her job to ensure that social content sparks conversation while also telling an accurate story of the latest news. Jess explains what it’s like to engage with people with different levels of expertise due to Adweek’s highly varied audience. We’re also taken behind the scenes of how the Adweek weekly Twitter chats came to be, how its TikTok strategy is going, and what it takes to create engaging pieces of content. We hear how Jess balances the creator vs. reporter side of her role and blends informative content with fun, creative content to get the most engagement. Jess also gives some examples of brands she thinks are killing it in the world of audience engagement and shares some of her favorite campaigns she’s seen brands take on. In This Episode: 3:30 – What it’s like managing social media for a publication 4:47 – How Adweek creates content for such a broad audience 6:35 – Jess explains how they manage their content calendar 8:46 – How Jess’ role fits into a journalistic environment 13:01 – Jess explains Adweek’s TikTok strategy 16:33 – How long it takes to create content 19:11 – How social media has changed over the course of the pandemic 22:32 – Jess says who she thinks is nailing audience engagement on social media 27:17 – How effective cross-promotion programs can be across different brands and subjects 30:44 – Crafting a balance between creative content and statistics-driven content 32:58 – Why Jess thinks “metaverse” should be in the dictionary 34:39 – How brands are preparing for the metaverse 36:18 – Jess tells us about her book and side projects in etymology 38:26 – Jess’ top tip for anyone looking to become a social pro Resources Get the new State of Marketing report for free from Salesforce Adweek’s website Adweek’s Twitter Jess Zafarris’ Twitter Useless Etymology’s Twitter Visit SocialPros.com for more insights from your favorite social media marketers.

Marking this incredible milestone, our very own Jay Baer, Anna Hrach, and Adam Brown sit down to discuss the most important (and surprising) lessons learned over 10 years of the Social Pros podcast in this special one-off webinar. Huge thanks to our amazing sponsors for helping us make this happen. Please support them; we couldn't do it without their help! This week: Salesforce Marketing Cloud Full Episode Details With more than 500 interviews with hundreds of industry-leading social specialists under their belts, hosts Jay Baer, Anna Hrach, and Adam Brown look back over the developments that have shaped social pros roles in the last decade. In this very special episode, the hosts share insights from previous Social Pros guests about the changes, evolutions, and the biggest surprises in social media since the podcast began. They also revisit some of the very best tips and advice from the experts over the years. The hosts go on to discuss what’s in store for the future of a social pro and what developments you can expect to see in social media roles in the next ten years. They also share their one dream guest they’d like to interview on the Social Pros podcast. Discover all the key findings and insights from 500 episodes (and counting) in our companion eBook, where you can also check out the video version of the webinar. In This Episode: 3:22 – Jay reflects on the early days of the Social Pros podcast 4:50 – Adam shares what it’s been like talking to different social pros over the years 8:26 – Why Social Pros’ success is all down to featuring great guests 12:37 – The biggest surprises in social media over the last ten years 15:24 – What a previous guest had to say about producing authentic content 17:58 – How social media has become part of customer care 20:22 – How social media has changed so much over the last decade 26:24 – Why the role of a social pro has evolved so drastically 28:43 – Predictions on what skills future social pros are likely to need 32:11 – The top guest tips for anyone looking to become a social pro 40:48 – Dream guests Jay, Adam, and Anna would love to see on the show Resources Grab the Social Pros Turns 500 free commemorative eBook Visit SocialPros.com for more insights from your favorite social media marketers.

We’re skipping our usual podcast this week but will be back on December 31 with a special episode to mark a huge milestone... To mark the Social Pros podcast reaching its 500th episode, we ran a live webinar to talk about what we’ve heard and learned over the past 500 episodes. Huge thanks to our amazing sponsors for helping us make this happen. Please support them; we couldn't do it without their help! This week: Salesforce Marketing Cloud Full Episode Details In this webinar and the special podcast episode to follow, host Jay Baer and co-hosts Anna Hrach and Adam Brown join together to celebrate one of the longest-running marketing podcasts hitting its 500th episode. The Social Pros hosts discuss different episodes, favorite guests and looks at some of the very best advice our guests have given listeners over the years. To mark the celebration, we’ve also produced a companion guide eBook that we’re really proud of. It features different highlights from the show, exclusive insights from social media experts, and gives a full rundown of the history of this podcast. To download it for free, head to this link. For those who couldn’t make the live show on December 22, the podcast episode will be available on December 31. Until then, Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas from all of us at Convince and Convert! Resources Grab the Social Pros Turns 500 free commemorative eBook Visit SocialPros.com for more insights from your favorite social media marketers.

Kristen Maldonado, Senior Manager of Social Media at MTV, joined the Social Pros podcast for a chat about building a strong community of loyal fans. Huge thanks to our amazing sponsors for helping us make this happen. Please support them; we couldn't do it without their help! This week: Salesforce Marketing Cloud Full Episode Details Kristen Maldonado, Senior Manager of Social Media at MTV, is on the Social Pros podcast to share how the team over at MTV managed to build such a fantastic community and fan base. As a lover of pop culture herself, Kristen appears to have the perfect job. Kristen explains that rather than relying on boring, false Tweets and overly manufactured campaigns, the approach at MTV is more about posting from one fan to another. The social media team at MTV are all huge fans of the artists and movies they post about, which goes a long way in making the content feel more authentic and exciting. This, Kristen explains, is key to building a strong community and boosting engagement with fans. Kristen talks about why MTV prioritizes social listening, and she also shares a glimpse into how they put together Instagram campaigns and test out different content formats. She also explains how being a content creator on the side has helped her in her career and why it’s her top tip for other social pros. In This Episode: 3:44 – Kristen explains how the MTV social team are just as excited as the fans 5:30 – How the MTV social team manages to produce so much content with a small team 7:24 – How MTV’s social team members collaborate with different content calendars 9:50 – The balance between pre-planned content and posting lightning-fast reactions to news stories 10:42 – The role of social within the MTV brand as a whole 13:14 – Kristen explains how they coordinate with artists and how it plays out to the fans 16:55 – How the social team at MTV put together such a successful IGTV campaign with celebrities 20:11 – How MTV’s social team tests different content formats 23:18 – How the voice of MTV’s social channels came to be 26:34 – What MTV looks for when hiring new team members 28:33 – Why having a content creator background is so helpful for a social media career 32:33 – Kristen gives her top pick for an underrated show everyone should watch 35:26 – Kristen’s top tip for those looking to become a social pro Resources Get the new State of Marketing report for free from Salesforce Kristen’s YouTube channel about pop culture  Visit SocialPros.com for more insights from your favorite social media marketers.

Amy Woods, CEO and Founder of Content 10x, is back on the Social Pros podcast to share her content repurposing expertise, and the importance of consistency, copy, and having a platform-focused approach. Huge thanks to our amazing sponsors for helping us make this happen. Please support them; we couldn't do it without their help! This week: Salesforce Marketing Cloud Full Episode Details Amy Woods, CEO and Founder of Content 10x, joins the Social Pros podcast for a second time to chat about why writing is still king when it comes to content creation. Whether you’re creating podcasts, videos, audiograms, or graphics – it all starts with the writing. Amy shares some of her content repurposing expertise and a little look behind the curtain at how Content 10x creates awesome repurposed content for this very podcast as well as many others. On the social side, Amy explains why a platform-specific social strategy is always best and why it’s so important to know each platform inside out to get the very best out of it. Amy rounds off the episode with some tips for new podcasters and explains why it’s crucial to have a seat at the table when putting a content strategy together. In This Episode: 4:43 – The current state of the content repurposing industry 7:10 – How to create the right content for the right platform and audience 11:01 – Consistency with publishing schedule vs. consistency with topic 12:49 – How to successfully approach topical content 14:36 – Amy discusses whether you need a consistent ‘face’ for your brand 17:04 – How Amy prioritizes the Content 10x teams 19:50 – The implications of the rising number of podcasts 22:18 – Is it better to be niche? 26:44 – Where social media practitioners should invest their time 32:46 – The consequences of not having a content strategy 35:08 – How to become a social pro 37:27 – Amy’s choice for a video call with any living person Resources Get the new State of Marketing report for free from Salesforce The Content 10x podcast  Visit SocialPros.com for more insights from your favorite social media marketers.

AJ Vaden, CEO and Co-Founder of Brand Builders Group is on the Social Pros podcast to discuss the increasingly important concept of personal branding. Huge thanks to our amazing sponsors for helping us make this happen. Please support them; we couldn't do it without their help! This week: Salesforce Marketing Cloud Full Episode Details AJ Vaden is a personal branding expert and CEO and Co-Founder of Brand Builders Group. She joins the Social Pros podcast to share the tips and tricks (and common mistakes) all businesses need to know about when it comes to personal branding. According to AJ, we are in the “era of the individual,” and personal branding is more important now than ever. She explains that personal branding is not the new concept we think it is. It’s just more visible now in the digital world. It’s not just some fad or trend we can skip. Personal branding is key to building your reputation and customer trust. AJ shares the common mistakes she sees clients make and how entrepreneurs can really reach their audience through content, not just sales pitches. In This Episode: 2:54 – AJ takes us through Brand Builders Group 5:40 – Why Brand Builders Group is not just about personal brand strategy but business strategy as well 6:30 – Why personal branding is not a new idea or trend 9:36 – AJ discusses the latest research from Brand Builders Group 14:19 – The importance of company executives having their own personal brand 19:08 – Why AJ advises companies to create their own internal influencers 25:29 – The most common personal branding mistakes on social media 31:20 – AJ’s advice for using different social platforms 34:48 – Why building a personal brand isn’t about getting social media-famous 36:00 – AJ’s top tip for those looking to become a social pro Resources Get the new State of Marketing report for free from Salesforce Trends in Personal Branding Visit SocialPros.com for more insights from your favorite social media marketers.

Jenn Herman, Instagram Expert, Speaker, and Author at Jenn's Trends, joins the Social Pros podcast for a new and updated chat about Instagram’s best practices. Huge thanks to our amazing sponsors for helping us make this happen. Please support them; we couldn't do it without their help! This week: Salesforce Marketing Cloud Full Episode Details If Jenn Herman, Instagram Expert, Speaker, and Author at Jenn's Trends, sounds familiar, it’s because she’s a returning guest twice over. She joins the Social Pros podcast for a third time to deliver more fantastic Instagram tips and insights. Given that Instagram is perhaps the most frequently changing social media platform, Jenn always has something new to share. In this episode, we look at what’s changed on Instagram and which best practices you should focus on in the future. The last time Jenn was on the show, Reels was a promising new feature. Given what it is today, Jenn explains why you should definitely prioritize Reels in your Instagram strategy. We also hear some quickfire tips from Jenn for any social pro trying to gain traction on Instagram, including why you should only ever post your best content. Tune in to the episode to learn what makes a winning Instagram strategy, what she’d love to see on the platform in the future, and why the color blue is surprisingly good for engagement. In This Episode: 4:08 – Jenn’s take on Meta and why she thinks it’s unlikely to affect Instagram 6:05 – How to deal with ever-changing Instagram updates and why Reels is the one to focus on (for now) 7:43 – How to repurpose content for Reels 11:37 – Jenn explains why “more hashtags is more,” as long as they’re relevant 15:03 – Why Instagram recently rolled out the ‘Rage Shake’ feature 16:23 – The benefits of being able to delete and edit Carousels 19:12 – Jenn discusses the new ability to post from the desktop 21:33 – What photos work best on Instagram – Jenn’s top tips for boosting engagement 24:23 – What features or updates Jenn would love to see in the future 26:53 – The place Instagram has in customer service 29:18 – Why Jenn believes you should have a customer service background to work in social 31:10 – The top thing that Instagram users overlook 34:24 – Jenn shares her top tip for those looking to become a social pro Resources Get the new State of Marketing report for free from Salesforce Visit SocialPros.com for more insights from your favorite social media marketers.

Leah Schultz, Senior Director of Brand & Social at TwinSpires Racing, Sports & Casino, joined the Social Pros podcast to discuss a winning real-time social media strategy. Huge thanks to our amazing sponsors for helping us make this happen. Please support them; we couldn't do it without their help! This week: Salesforce Marketing Cloud Snapchat Full Episode Details Leah Schultz, Senior Director of Brand & Social at TwinSpires Racing, Sports & Casino, is on the Social Pros podcast to share the secrets of TwinSpires’ success. Social media never sleeps. And in the world of online gambling, sports, and racing, social pros need to have their finger on the pulse. Part of what makes TwinSpires’ social content so engaging is that it pops up exactly when the fans need it – in real-time. Leah and her team don’t delay when it comes to pushing out content. Someone just won their 7000th race? Her team will push out recaps, graphics, and copy, right there and then. Leah explains why this is especially important in this industry and what other social pros can do to stay ahead. She shares the strategies behind social listening, community management, and why a trusting, close-knit team is key to making fast decisions for social content. Leah also shares a little about the challenges of promoting racing and gambling content, including the regulations and how they differ by state. In This Episode: 4:34 – Leah shares a bit of background on TwinSpires Racing, Sports & Casino 5:50 – How Leah navigates the different regulations for social content 7:30 – How the TwinSpires team manages national vs. state-specific social content 11:20 - What Leah learned from her time with Papa John’s legal team 13:30 – Why online casino and racing are a 24/7 business for the social team 16:55 – Why having a social team with passionate sports fans is so important for TwinSpires 20:19 – Where community management fits into the social team 22:05 – How TwinSpires manages age gating with its content 26:14 - Leah shares how she talks to leadership about social media and how that’s changed over the years 29:41 – Leah gives her take on how VR and AR will play into the future of online casinos and sports 32:40 – Why Leah prefers Twitter over audio-only platforms like Clubhouse 35:52 – Leah’s top tip for those looking to become a social pro Resources Get the new State of Marketing report for free from Salesforce Double your advertising spending on Snapchat Visit SocialPros.com for more insights from your favorite social media marketers.

Brittany Cabriales, Head of Social Media at GoFundMe, joins this Social Pros podcast episode to discuss how social media can be a force for good. Huge thanks to our amazing sponsors for helping us make this happen. Please support them; we couldn't do it without their help! This week: Salesforce Marketing Cloud Full Episode Details Brittany Cabriales, Head of Social Media at GoFundMe, is on this episode of Social Pros to share the strategies and successes behind GoFundMe’s social media push. GoFundMe is an instantly recognizable name in the online fundraising world. Part of this is down to users sharing their fundraisers on social media, which almost every user does. Brittany explains how the social team helps to get the word out about important causes and the effect this has on fundraising. Brittany shares why timing is crucial and how timely fundraisers can raise thousands of dollars more. This is why promoting on social media is key, so you have to move fast. Brittany also shares how GoFundMe’s social media success is largely down to organic content rather than paid advertising. We also hear how different social platforms do better with certain types of fundraisers and how to tell an effective story with your fundraiser for maximum success. In This Episode: 3:18 – Why GoFundMe is hoping to broaden its audience reach 4:41 – The impact of the pandemic on GoFundMe 6:28 – How the pandemic spurred people into action through fundraising 7:21 – How GoFundMe uses social media to spread the word about good causes 9:36 – Brittany explains how GoFundMe targets both fundraisers and participants 10:17 – How different social platforms are better for different audiences 11:25 – How GoFundMe decides what fundraisers to promote 13:52 – Why Brittany is always trying to stay on top of social media trends 14:21 – How GoFundMe’s choice to highlight fundraisers affects the donations 16:34 – Brittany explains GoFundMe’s new social strategy 17:38 – Why GoFundMe sees more success with organic search over paid 18:29 – The top metrics that GoFundMe watches 20:19 – How Brittany approaches campaigns on different social media platforms 22:33 – GoFundMe’s new ventures on TikTok 24:34 – Brittany’s tips for gaining traction with your GoFundMe campaign 27:41 – Why Gen Z is one of the most engaged donor demographics on GoFundMe 28:43 – GoFundMe’s approach to social care and social listening 29:15 – How Brittany’s experience in customer support helps her in her role now 31:06 – Why “every cause is important” in Brittany’s eyes 32:33 – Brittany’s top tip for those looking to become a social pro Resources Get the new State of Marketing report for free from Salesforce GoFundMe’s Instagram Visit SocialPros.com for more insights from your favorite social media marketers.

Jon Loomer, Owner of Jon Loomer Digital, is on the Social Pros podcast to talk all about the future of advanced Facebook advertising.  Huge thanks to our amazing sponsors for helping us make this happen. Please support them; we couldn't do it without their help! This week: Salesforce Marketing Cloud Full Episode Details Jon Loomer, Owner of Jon Loomer Digital, joins the Social Pros podcast to share some of his words of wisdom and advice for those looking to take Facebook ads to the next level. With the recent Facebook to Meta rebrand, things are a little up in the air in the social media world. But Jon weighs in on the future of Facebook and how marketers will have to adapt to succeed. He gives some solid advice on getting started with Facebook ads, why you should focus on targeting the right people, and how to be mindful about sticking to a budget. Jon goes on to talk about how competition has affected advertising on Facebook over the years and why it’s more important than ever to be creative and experiment to find what works. In This Episode: 2:50 – Jon’s thoughts on Facebook’s rebrand to Meta 4:38 – What is “the metaverse”? 6:23 – How Jon Loomer Digital evolved into the resource for Facebook advertisers 10:08 – Why tie your Facebook ads to different stages of your funnel 12:07 – Creative, targeting, or budgeting: which is the most important? 14:31 – Why microtargeting is so powerful 18:00 – The factors holding people back from experimenting with Facebook ads 19:48 – How advertisers can set realistic result expectations 21:52 – How to get started with Facebook ads 25:56 – The challenges with dayparting 29:12 – Understanding how iOS14 can impact Facebook advertising 34:35 – What makes a good Facebook ad call to action 35:51 – How much should you trust Facebook’s auto-optimization? 41:48 – What experience and skills help you run successful ad campaigns 43:33 – Jon’s one tip to becoming a social pro Resources Get the new State of Marketing report for free from Salesforce Jon Loomer Digital A Facebook Ads Experimentation Guide Visit SocialPros.com for more insights from your favorite social media marketers.

Thea Neal, Global Talent Marketing Manager for Royal Caribbean Group, joined this episode of Social Pros to share how she’s utilizing the power of social for recruitment. Huge thanks to our amazing sponsors for helping us make this happen. Please support them; we couldn't do it without their help! This week: Salesforce Marketing Cloud Full Episode Details Thea Neal, Global Talent Marketing Manager at Royal Caribbean Group, is on the Social Pros Podcast to share the inventive ways Royal Caribbean Group recruits staff. With a constant need to fill roles on the many ships within the Royal Caribbean Group family, recruitment is a huge priority. But rather than simply throwing up a few job adverts, Royal Caribbean has turned to social media to really drive that hiring push. Thea explains how they use user-generated content from existing staff members to paint a picture of life at sea for potential candidates. She believes this goes way further than what marketing campaigns can produce because it’s authentic content that people really want to see. Thea also shares how recruitment is a long game for Royal Caribbean Group and how social is currently driving around 20% of referrals to job applications. We also hear a bit about the struggles during COVID, including visa changes, recruitment competition from other brands, and how the travel industry is recovering. In This Episode: 4:39 – How Thea is managing a huge hiring push after a COVID pause 7:27 – How being a talent marketer differs from being a regular marketer 9:39 – The ways talent marketing has changed over social media 11:27 – Why Royal Caribbean’s social recruitment push is a long game 12:40 – How Thea works with her counterparts to ensure the messaging is consistent 14:21 – What the pandemic taught Thea about the challenges of global hiring 16:20 – How Royal Caribbean manages a constant recruitment push worldwide 18:01 – How Royal Caribbean uses specific and targeted hiring campaigns 20:06 – Why Glassdoor ratings were such a big priority for Thea 24:10 – How user generated content gives insights into job roles that marketing campaigns can’t 26:08 – Why most UGC is created organically at Royal Caribbean 27:04 – Thea explains the ‘Journey with Us’ campaign 29:04 – How Thea measures success with recruitment campaigns 35:20 – Royal Caribbean’s hiring campaign plan post-COVID 36:50 – How Royal Caribbean competes with other companies for the best talent 38:54 – Thea’s one tip for those looking to become a social pro Resources Get the new State of Marketing report for free from Salesforce Careers at Royal Caribbean Group Visit SocialPros.com for more insights from your favorite social media marketers.

Lauren Thomas, Senior Manager of Communications & Social at Intuit Consumer Group, joins the Social Pros Podcast to discuss how Intuit makes tax content fun and engaging. Huge thanks to our amazing sponsors for helping us make this happen. Please support them; we couldn't do it without their help! This week: Salesforce Marketing Cloud Snapchat Full Episode Details Tax and budgeting are, by most people’s books, not the most interesting topics to hear about on social media. And yet, Intuit has managed to create content on social that’s fun, engaging, and educational. This is thanks to the work of Lauren Thomas, Senior Manager of Communications & Social at Intuit Consumer Group, and her team. Lauren joined Social Pros to talk all about her work and how she’s brought innovations and big ideas to the team to drive its success. We hear about Intuit’s ventures on TikTok and how it works with both personal finance and general lifestyle influencers to create engaging and relatable content. Lauren explains how Intuit has developed its light-hearted and fun brand voice to appeal to those who would usually shy away from hearing about tax. In This Episode: 4:16 – How Lauren manages to wear so many hats in her role 6:10 – How Lauren uses social listening and the insights she’s picked up 8:47 – Why the area of social you work in affects how you use social listening 10:45 – How Intuit’s social media content changes throughout the year 13:40 – Lauren explains how social engagement shifts depending on the time of year 16:09 – How Intuit blends tax and finance content with lifestyle content 18:46 – Lauren explains how Intuit used Cameo as a unique marketing push 22:49 – How influencers help Intuit make serious tax topics engaging 26:55 – Intuit’s social care team’s approach to protecting personal information 34:02 – Lauren shares the story behind ending up in the Guinness Book of World Records  37:54 – The challenges of getting leadership to understand your vision  45:34 – Lauren’s top tip for those looking to become a social pro Resources Get the new State of Marketing report for free from Salesforce Double your advertising spend with Snapchat Visit SocialPros.com for more insights from your favorite social media marketers.

Gwynne Spann, Director of Content Marketing at Visit California, joins this episode of the Social Pros Podcast for a behind-the-scenes look at their TikTok strategy. Huge thanks to our amazing sponsors for helping us make this happen. Please support them; we couldn't do it without their help! This week: Salesforce Marketing Cloud Full Episode Details Gwynne Spann, Director of Content Marketing at Visit California, is on Social Pros to chat about TikTok, content marketing, audience targeting, and much more. She shares the initial hesitancy she and her team had around TikTok and how her daughter convinced her to finally take the plunge. While fairly new to TikTok, we get a glimpse into how Visit California approached the platform in the right way, prioritizing authenticity and a tailored strategy specific to TikTok. Gwynne explains how the wider marketing strategy uses a lot of geographic targeting based on audience travel habits and how that influences the type of content they post. We also hear a bit about how Visit California works with travel partners, brand ambassadors, and Gwynne hints that we’ll likely see more influencer content in the future.  In This Episode: 4:41 – How marketing to in-state residents differs from out-of-state audiences 7:44 – How Visit California uses audience targeting 11:28 – Why Visit California launched its own TikTok 17:48 – Why TikTok is such a different beast than other social channels 20:57 – How Visit California works with all its different business and venue partners 24:30 – The success metrics that Visit California monitors 26:56 – How Visit California does sentiment analysis 31:02 – Gwynne explains what type of content is resonating the most on TikTok 36:10 – The top piece of advice Gwynne has for those thinking of becoming a social pro Resources Visit SocialPros.com for more insights from your favorite social media marketers.

Bari Rosenstein, Social Media Manager at Auntie Anne's Pretzels, joins this episode of Social Pros to talk all about her winning social media strategy. Huge thanks to our amazing sponsors for helping us make this happen. Please support them; we couldn't do it without their help! This week: Salesforce Marketing Cloud Full Episode Details Bari Rosenstein, Social Media Manager at Auntie Anne's Pretzels, is back on the Social Pros Podcast, this time to share her strategies behind promoting pretzels to a growing fanbase. Impressively, Bari works as a social team of one but collaborates with other social media managers in the Focus Brands portfolio and beyond. In this episode, she discusses how Auntie Anne’s likes to use user-generated content from its passionate fans to create relatable social content. Bari also explains how she reaches out to influencers and how a simple gift of free pretzels led to a highly successful campaign during the Olympics. One of the reasons Bari loves her current role is that it’s so open to trying new creative ideas.  That’s why she’s been experimenting with the increasingly popular Auntie Anne’s TikTok channel. In This Episode: 5:59 – Auntie Anne’s expansion into drive-throughs and beyond 8:46 – Where Auntie Anne’s works within the Focus Brands family 10:33 – How Auntie Anne’s works with franchisees on larger marketing efforts 13:58 – Bari walks us through how they manage the social media calendar 16:09 – The reports and KPIs that Bari measures for franchisees and the larger business 18:12 – How Bari manages to be a social media team of one 23:10 – How the Focus Brands social media managers collaborate 26:10 – How Bari gained the trust of her team to post freely on social 28:28 – Bari talks about how Auntie Anne’s crisis management works and the struggles during the pandemic 31:52 – Where influencer marketing fits into the Auntie Anne’s social strategy 36:27 – Bari shares her ultimate Auntie Anne’s pick 37:41 – Bari’s top tip for those looking to become a social pro Resources Get the new State of Marketing report for free from Salesforce Visit SocialPros.com for more insights from your favorite social media marketers.

Josh Greenberg, Director of Social Media and Digital Consumer Engagement at SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment, is on Social Pros to put the spotlight on customer care. Huge thanks to our amazing sponsors for helping us make this happen. Please support them; we couldn't do it without their help! This week: Salesforce Marketing Cloud Snapchat Full Episode Details Josh Greenberg, Director of Social Media and Digital Consumer Engagement at SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment, says that being “customer obsessed” is the secret to their success. But what does customer obsession look like? SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment likes to focus on the individuals who love the brand and find ways to connect with them one-on-one. By doing so, the brand manages to make customers feel special and valued. Josh explains how SeaWorld manages to strike a balance between being a fun and silly brand whilst also prioritizing world-class customer care. He takes us through some fantastic examples of how SeaWorld has gone above and beyond what other brands would do on social media. Josh explains how interactions like these work behind the scenes and how collaborating with different departments and brands under the SeaWorld name works. In This Episode: 5:02 – How working in an agency differs from being a permanent part of a social team 7:51 – How Josh adapted to his new role and responsibilities 9:41 – How Josh balances social media across all the SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment brands 12:41 – The metrics and KPIs that SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment looks at 16:13 – The types of content that drive guest engagement the most 18:19 – The lessons Josh learned about change management when he first took his role 21:03 – Why it’s so important to build a relationship with people on social media 25:05 – How Josh’s team became customer obsessed 27:53 – How Josh helped to overhaul the SeaWorld Twitter accounts 31:22 – Why social care needs to be authentic 34:25 – Josh explains the metrics and analytics he’s looking at on TikTok 37:00 – Why you need to create content that’s relevant for each specific channel 38:26 – Josh’s top tip for anyone thinking of becoming a social pro Resources Get the new State of Marketing report for free from Salesforce Double your advertising budget on Snapchat with free ad credit Visit SocialPros.com for more insights from your favorite social media marketers.

Andrew Stebbins (Influencer Marketing and YouTube Strategist) and Rob Yoegel (Senior Director of Marketing) from Linode joined this episode of the Social Pros Podcast to delve into their success on YouTube, influencers, and more. Huge thanks to our amazing sponsors for helping us make this happen. Please support them; we couldn't do it without their help! This week: Salesforce Marketing Cloud Full Episode Details Linode’s Andrew Stebbins (Influencer Marketing and YouTube Strategist) and Rob Yoegel (Senior Director of Marketing) are on the Social Pros Podcast to talk all about their YouTube and influencer strategies. Linode is a cloud hosting company that’s been in the space for 18 years now. And yet, it’s only been in the past few years that they’ve really ramped up their focus on marketing. From relying entirely on word-of-mouth recommendations to now mastering YouTube, Linode has been on a big learning journey. In this episode, Rob and Andrew share more about how and why they got started on YouTube and why it’s been a key part of their education and customer acquisition strategies. Andrew gives a detailed look into his work with influencers and brand advocates and where they fit into Linode’s marketing push. Rob also shares some stats behind their success and how leveraging influencers on YouTube has led to 15-20% customer growth each month! In This Episode: 4:05 – What Linode does as an “alternative cloud provider” 5:47 – How Linode’s marketing stance has changed over the past 18 years 7:46 – Rob explains why content marketing has become key for Linode 9:45 – Why YouTube became a huge focus for Linode 11:38 – Linode’s advice to other social pros about using YouTube 14:08 – How Linode’s YouTube channel started and where it is today 20:26 – How Linode works with brand advocates and influencers 23:01 – The benefits of using existing customers as influencers 25:56 – Rob explains how Linode uses paid advertising on YouTube 29:47 – Linode’s approach to repurposing content 32:20 – How optimizing metadata on YouTube is key to success 34:29 – Why using video chapters is such an underutilized yet useful feature 36:04 – What the analytics say about engagement on YouTube 39:22 – The next steps for Linode 40:50 – The key YouTube performance indicators Linode’s marketing team prioritizes 42:58 – Andrew gives his top tip for someone wanting to become a social pro Resources Get the new State of Marketing report for free from Salesforce How to Host Multiple Discord Bots on A Single Server from Linode’s YouTube channel Deploy A Static Website Using The Linode CLI | Object Storage Tutorial from Linode’s YouTube channel Here's how to roll your own VPN | WireGuard Tutorial from Linode’s YouTube channel Clickbait is Unreasonably Effective from the Veritasium YouTube channel Visit SocialPros.com for more insights from your favorite social media marketers.

Dan Gingiss, Chief Experience Officer at The Experience Maker and keynote speaker, joins this episode of Social Pros to throw the spotlight on the customer experience. Huge thanks to our amazing sponsors for helping us make this happen. Please support them; we couldn't do it without their help! This week: Salesforce Marketing Cloud Full Episode Details Dan Gingiss, Chief Experience Officer at The Experience Maker, is a keynote speaker and author of ‘Winning in Social Customer Care’. His latest book, ‘The Experience Maker’ offers fantastic insights into how to build remarkable experiences for your customers. He joins the Social Pros podcast to give us a sneak peek at the wisdom he’s packed into his latest book. Dan discusses the importance of customer experience and how the pandemic only highlighted this. While there’s a lot of competition in many industries, there’s not much competition when it comes to providing a fantastic customer experience. Dan talks about how we’re often disappointed by brands and that one clear way to stand out is to go beyond customer expectations. Dan takes Social Pros listeners through the WISE system of creating content and communicating with customers, and why good customer experience starts with good employee experience. In This Episode: 4:40 – Why there’s an ongoing need for books about customer experience 9:23 – How you can still overdeliver on social media to keep customers happy 12:22 – Why you can’t do good customer experience without good employee experience 15:11 – How a focus on customer acquisition rather than retention affects the customer experience 21:03 – How Dan feels about brand voices on social that don’t match the brand 24:05 – Dan explores some examples of brands that are getting it right 26:45 – Why marketing’s job has always been to promise the customer experience 28:24 – The most important metrics for social media 31:38 – Why CEOs are overlooking the ROI of satisfied customers 32:27 – Why Dan thinks using social to sell is the wrong approach 33:30 – Why customers and brands now prefer direct messages on social media 36:46 – Dan’s top tip for someone looking to become a social pro Resources Get the new State of Marketing report for free from Salesforce The Experience Maker by Dan Gingiss Winning in Social Customer Care by Dan Gingiss Visit SocialPros.com for more insights from your favorite social media marketers.

Izzy Greer, Marketing Manager of Portfolio Brands at Balsam Brands, joins the Social Pros Podcast to discuss how to make seasonal content engaging all-year-round. Huge thanks to our amazing sponsors for helping us make this happen. Please support them; we couldn't do it without their help! This week: Salesforce Marketing Cloud Snapchat Full Episode Details Izzy Greer, Marketing Manager of Portfolio Brands at Balsam Brands, oversees marketing strategies for brands including Balsam Hill, the Christmas and seasonal décor store. She joins the Social Pros Podcast to share how she and her team keep the holiday spirit going on social 365 days a year. As a seasonal brand, Balsam Hill has to get really inventive in keeping its content both relevant and engaging, even in the summer months. Izzy explains why Balsam Brands prioritizes authentic user-generated content, working with influencers, and promoting on Pinterest. Izzy also shares some of the strategies behind paid versus organic content and how her team likes to unite them to create authentic content that resonates with its customers.  In This Episode: 5:34 – How Izzy structures content all year round for seasonal products 7:00 – How internal systems and pacing works for marketing seasonal content 8:53 – The reasons why people engage differently with Balsam Brands throughout the year 10:10 – Izzy’s key insights from social listening 12:40 – How Izzy’s team manages effective customer conversations 14:44 – Why Balsam Brands looks for an authentic connection when working with celebrities and influencers 20:20 – The tools Balsam Brands uses to collect and analyze content performance data 21:56 – Why an effective Pinterest strategy considers the platform’s planning and search engine functions 25:05 – How to create the volume of visual marketing content needed for social media 28:27 – How Balsam Brands taps into user-generated content Resources Get the new State of Marketing report for free from Salesforce Double your campaign spending with a Snapchat special offer Visit SocialPros.com for more insights from your favorite social media marketers.

Adam Brown, Executive Strategist at Salesforce and Social Pros host, joins this episode as a special guest to talk all about Salesforce’s latest State of Marketing Report. Huge thanks to our amazing sponsors for helping us make this happen. Please support them; we couldn't do it without their help! This week: Salesforce Marketing Cloud Full Episode Details Adam Brown, Executive Strategist at Salesforce and our very own Social Pros podcast host, joins this episode from the other side of the table. He’s on the show to share all the wisdom and insights that Salesforce’s latest report has to offer, including the highlights and surprising trends. The State of Marketing Report is something Salesforce publishes every year, and each time it comes out, the marketing world learns so much from it. In this episode, Adam discusses how the role of CMOs has changed, why businesses are focusing more on user-generated content, and how marketing is now all about data science as well as creativity. In This Episode: 1:50 – Adam explains how Salesforce put together the State of Marketing report 3:34 – What the report tells us about customer experience 5:25 – How marketers’ top three priorities are also their top three challenges 6:58 – What the report reveals about the way CMOs track their progress 8:29 – Why 88% of marketers have changed their marketing strategy 11:34 – Why marketers are increasingly using social media and email to boost reach 14:56 – The ways marketing departments want to level up their strategy 16:49 – Why training in influencer marketing and user-generated content is so vital 19:25 – How improved marketing tech empowers social pros to do less of the tactical stuff and more of the strategy 20:45 – Why 77% of marketers believe that their work provides more value now than a year ago 24:36 – How Salesforce has expanded its report with sub-reports and a Tableau dashboard Resources Get the new State of Marketing report for free from Salesforce Visit SocialPros.com for more insights from your favorite social media marketers.

Dave Fleet, Managing Director, Head of Global Digital Crisis at Edelman, is on the Social Pros Podcast to share his insights into modern digital crisis management. Huge thanks to our amazing sponsors for helping us make this happen. Please support them; we couldn't do it without their help! This week: Salesforce Marketing Cloud Full Episode Details In times of crisis, it pays to plan ahead and act fast, says Dave Fleet, Managing Director, Head of Global Digital Crisis at Edelman. Dave joins the Social Pros Podcast to discuss how the ways businesses handle crises today have changed over the past few years. He talks about the impact of the digital world and how businesses have had to completely change the way they respond to crises. According to Dave, the old ways businesses managed crises are now obsolete. Today, organizations need to plan ahead and act fast in a way that’s rooted in trust. Misinformation spreads like wildfire. Dave discusses the use of multimedia content and different platforms to handle crises and why businesses need to be careful not to make things worse. In This Episode: 4:52 – Dave explains the scope and scale of the work that Edelman does 6:24 – How crises play out online in the modern world 10:38 – Which is more important, how you respond to a crisis vs. being prepared 13:31 – What a well-formed crisis response looks like 14:33 – Why you should communicate early in a crisis 17:07 – How Edelman uses data and social listening to keep on top of a crisis 20:04 – How Dave and Edelman counsel customers in a crisis 22:41 – Dave’s tip for better utilizing social listening 24:12 – Why video communication is preferred for some customers 29:05 – How Edelman uses paid advertising as part of its crisis response strategy 32:07 – What the PR crisis “war room” looks like in 2021 35:26 – Social media’s place at the table during an online crisis 37:28 – The best ways to prepare for digital crises in 2021 41:17 – Dave’s one tip for those looking to become a social pro Resources Get the new State of Marketing report for free from Salesforce Visit SocialPros.com for more insights from your favorite social media marketers.

John Jantsch, Founder and author of Duct Tape Marketing, joins this episode of the Social Pros Podcast to share his methods for revisiting your marketing strategy. Huge thanks to our amazing sponsors for helping us make this happen. Please support them; we couldn't do it without their help! This week: Salesforce Marketing Cloud Snapchat Full Episode Details John Jantsch, Founder and author of Duct Tape Marketing, discusses what has changed (and hasn’t changed) in the marketing landscape and how you can stay relevant. He talks about how marketing fundamentals may remain the same, but the way we need to reach customers has changed. Customers are making buying decisions in different ways in the modern world, and so to keep ahead, you need to constantly tweak your strategy. John shares some great insights into how you can leverage customer reviews and use them in your strategy. He also gives his take on brand storytelling and how it has almost become a cliché (unless you do it right). In This Episode: 1:15 – Why John decided to write The Ultimate Marketing Engine 2:16 – How John pulled all his knowledge together to write such a comprehensive book 3:35 – John explains what he means by the “marketing hourglass” 6:05 – Why John refers to customers as members 9:30 – Why customer service is an overlooked part of marketing 13:11 – How The Ultimate Marketing Engine builds on the wisdom of his previous books 15:21 – How you can uncover the “real problem” in business (and solve it) 17:17 – Why customer reviews are a “hidden goldmine” of customer research 19:15 – Why businesses often miss the boat when selling a solution 21:59 – The importance of narrowing your focus in marketing 25:59 – The difference between storytelling and narrative 31:55 – What John has learned about social media from being one of ten children 34:05 – John’s approach to generating referrals and whether you should compensate them 40:05 – John’s top tip for anyone wanting to become a social pro Resources Get the new State of Marketing report for free from Salesforce Double your campaign spending with a Snapchat special offer Duct Tape Marketing by John Jantsch Visit SocialPros.com for more insights from your favorite social media marketers.

Brad Baker, VP of Brand Strategy and Creative at Holiday Inn Club Vacations, joins this episode of the Social Pros Podcast to share how he keeps up with the ever-changing “organic beast” of social media. Huge thanks to our amazing sponsors for helping us make this happen. Please support them; we couldn't do it without their help! This week:   Salesforce Marketing Cloud Snapchat   Full Episode Details Brad Baker, VP of Brand Strategy and Creative at Holiday Inn Club Vacations, has been in the social media business for a long time. In that time, he’s seen just how much everything can change, whether its strategies, best practices, algorithms, platforms – you name it. He joins the Social Pros Podcast to share his thoughts on revisiting social media strategies, how the team at Holiday Inn Club Vacations pulls it off successfully. He explains how they keep their finger on the pulse and adapt their strategy when needed – while also maintaining Holiday Inn’s strong brand legacy. Never has a travel or vacation business had to adapt more than during the pandemic. Brad takes us behind-the-scenes of how Holiday Inn Club Vacations adapted its social strategy during that difficult time. Brad also discusses how Holiday Inn works with influencers to tell an authentic story of the brand.   In This Episode: 4:45 – Brad gives a little background on the Holiday Inn Club Vacation Program 6:13 – How Holiday Inn Club Vacations navigated an unpredictable year of travel 8:07 – How the use of social media changed over the pandemic 9:56 – Brad explains the “virtual vacation” tab Holiday Inn Club Vacations introduced on their website 11:40 – How Holiday Inn Club Vacations are tapping into local knowledge to promote properties 12:53 – The KPIs that timeshare companies should measure 15:59 – How Brad’s team has moved more towards paid social 16:34 – The challenge of finding authentic influencers 19:48 – Why Holiday Inn Club Vacations is so transparent about its timeshare model 23:25 – How Brad directs and collaborates with the marketing and social teams 26:29 – How Brad makes the business case to leadership to invest more in social 29:28 – Brad shares the surprising challenges in his earlier marketing and social career 31:30 – Why social teams are so risk-averse right now 33:09 – Brad explains why social teams need to re-evaluate their strategy at least once a year 37:14 – Brad’s top tip for anyone looking to become a social pro Resources Get the new State of Marketing report for free from Salesforce Double your campaign spending with a Snapchat special offer   Visit SocialPros.com for more insights from your favorite social media marketers.

Adeta Gayah, Director of Social Media and Content at Visit Orlando, joins this episode of the Social Pros Podcast to discuss how her team managed to keep people engaged and rebuild traveler trust during a pandemic. Huge thanks to our amazing sponsors for helping us make this happen. Please support them; we couldn't do it without their help! This week: Salesforce Marketing Cloud Supermetrics Full Episode Details Adeta Gayah, Director of Social Media and Content at Visit Orlando, is on the Social Pros Podcast to give a window into how a travel organization promotes itself on social media when no one can travel. The pandemic has been a tough time for many businesses and individuals, but the travel industry has been one of the hardest hit. That didn’t deter the team at Visit Orlando, though. Instead, they got creative and set to work building traveler trust and excitement, ready for people to start traveling again. Adeta takes us behind the scenes at Visit Orlando to explain the strategies around user-generated content, social listening, and TikTok. She explains how Visit Orlando works with more than 1,100 businesses within the Orlando area and how her team helps create engaging content for a variety of business types. In This Episode: 5:36 – Adeta takes us through the mechanics of marketing for a destination organization 7:44 – How Visit Orlando helps different businesses tell their unique stories 8:14 – Adeta explains how the Visit Orlando team balances content for each business 9:46 – How Visit Orlando collaborates with members 11:30 – Adeta shares her thoughts on paid social 13:52 – How Visit Orlando likes to focus on local residents as well as tourists 15:37 – Why Adeta doesn’t take Orlando’s fame as a tourist hotspot for granted 18:40 – Adeta gives us a glimpse into the customer care team 20:29 – How Visit Orlando utilizes user-generated content 25:57 – The one social network that Adeta would never delete 27:25 – How TikTok became a major part of Visit Orlando’s strategy 30:08 – Visit Orlando’s strategy for weekday vs. weekend content 32:35 – Adeta explains what metrics matter most to Visit Orlando 35:18 – Why being a local resident is key to promoting Orlando 38:28 – Adeta’s top tip for those who want to become a social pro Resources Get the new State of Marketing report for free from Salesforce Download the Social Media Metrics template from Supermetrics  Visit SocialPros.com for more insights from your favorite social media marketers

Tatiana Holifield, Head of Brand Social at Hulu, is on the Social Pros Podcast to talk about generating buzz and chatter on social media. Huge thanks to our amazing sponsors for helping us make this happen. Please support them; we couldn't do it without their help! This week: Salesforce Marketing Cloud Snapchat Full Episode Details Tatiana Holifield, Head of Brand Social at Hulu, discusses how the Hulu team creates content that gets people talking on social media. With a lot of competition, standing out can be a challenge, even for big names like Hulu. Tatiana takes us behind the scenes to look at the strategies that make Hulu’s social content so effective. Tatiana talks about generating conversation, interacting with influencers, collaborating with different stakeholders, and also looking at what analytics can tell us. She explains the strategy behind promoting new shows and why Reddit is one of the most valuable platforms to use to tap into conversations about TV shows. In This Episode: 7:55 – How Tatiana describes Hulu’s “value proposition” 10:09 – How Hulu’s social team collaborates with third-party producers 14:49 – The struggles of coordinating and planning campaigns in social media 17:46 – Why trust is so important when collaborating with stakeholders 19:42 – How Tatiana plans content for different partners with very different needs 22:15 – Why TV partners prioritize mentions on social media as their primary metric 26:10 – How the Hulu team uses social listening to stay on top of the trends 30:50 – The strategies for dealing with passionate and loyal fanbases 34:31 – Why Reddit is a key platform in the TV world 45:05 – Tatiana’s one top tip for those thinking of becoming a social pro Resources Get the new State of Marketing report for free from Salesforce Double your campaign spending with a Snapchat special offer  Visit SocialPros.com for more insights from your favorite social media marketers.

Andy Jasenak, Director of Digital Media at Amtrak, joins this episode of the Social Pros Podcast to share how the iconic railroad service Amtrak managed social during the pandemic. Huge thanks to our amazing sponsors for helping us make this happen. Please support them; we couldn't do it without their help! This week: Salesforce Marketing Cloud Supermetrics Full Episode Details Director of Digital Media at Amtrak, Andy Jasenak, discusses how Amtrak got creative during a trying year of COVID-19. While many industries were affected by lockdowns, the travel industry was hit particularly hard. How do you promote a travel service when everyone’s locked down? Rather than slowing things down, Amtrak charged ahead and decided to get creative. Andy shares how Amtrak managed unique and fun social campaigns over Instagram Stories to keep people interested in travel throughout the pandemic. He shares how Amtrak values user-generated content from its many passionate brand advocates who help propel the brand across the U.S. Andy also talks more about his background and shares some food for thought for anyone looking to become a social pro. In This Episode: 4:30 – How Amtrak kept people engaged and inspired during the pandemic 6:09 – Amtrak’s strategy to stand out on social media 8:04 – The primary objective for Amtrak on social media 10:13 – Andy takes us behind-the-scenes of Amtrak’s social team setup 15:34 – How Amtrak coordinates responses across different channels 18:22 – How Andy makes a case for new social strategies to the rest of the team 19:35 – Why Amtrak hosted a Jimmy Kimmel mean tweet-style leadership meeting 22:10 – The role of brand advocates and why Amtrak loves user-generated content 25:33 – Amtrak’s creative Instagram Stories campaign 27:49 – How the Amtrak social team works humor and fun into its content so organically 31:18 – How social media differs across all the industries Andy’s worked in 34:44 – Andy shares why music is such an important part of his life 36:55 – Andy gives his top tip for those looking to become a social pro Resources Get the new State of Marketing report for free from Salesforce Download the Social Media Metrics template from Supermetrics Visit SocialPros.com for more insights from your favorite social media marketers.

Amanda Russell, Professor at the University of Texas & Northwestern University, and author of "The Influencer Code: How to Unlock the Power of Influencer Marketing" joins Social Pros to discuss the power of influencer marketing. Huge thanks to our amazing sponsors for helping us make this happen. Please support them; we couldn't do it without their help! This week: Salesforce Marketing Cloud Supermetrics Full Episode Details Amanda Russell is a university professor, speaker, marketing strategist, and author. She joins the Social Pros Podcast to share her wide-ranging experience and expertise in influencer marketing. Her fantastic insights include what influencer marketing is vs. what it isn’t, the common mistakes businesses make, and how to get influencer marketing right. Amanda shares the three top misconceptions people have about influencer marketing including what it is and the best way to use it to boost your brand. She also challenges the idea that social media = influencer marketing. She says that just because someone is a content creator does not mean they are just an influencer. In This Episode: 4:43 – What people get wrong about the word “influencer” 6:48 – The three major misconceptions of influencer marketing 10:24 – The importance of trust and why it needs to be prioritized 13:59 – Why influencer marketing is the future of marketing 15:40 – The problem of viewing influencer marketing as a transactional thing 20:57 – The three steps of the “Influencer Code” 24:52 – Why influence is not universal 28:50 – Why businesses need to prioritize building relationships with influencers 34:29 – The important relationship between the marketer and the influencer 41:40 – What businesses can do to shift the way they view influencer marketing 43:35 – Amanda’s top tip for those looking to become a social pro Resources Get the new State of Marketing report for free from Salesforce Download the Social Media Metrics template from Supermetrics Amanda Russell’s website and book Visit SocialPros.com for more insights from your favorite social media marketers.

Kelsey Murray, Associate Vice President, Global Head of Social Media at Nasdaq, joins this episode of the Social Pros Podcast to discuss Nasdaq’s people-focused approach to social. Huge thanks to our amazing sponsors for helping us make this happen. Please support them; we couldn't do it without their help! This week: Salesforce Marketing Cloud Supermetrics Full Episode Details When building a social strategy, it’s easy to get lost in business goals, analytics, and conversion rates. But what about the people at the heart of social media – the customers, partners, business owners themselves? Kelsey Murray, Associate Vice President, Global Head of Social Media at Nasdaq, shares her thoughts on why people should be the focus of everything you do in social media. A global tech company at heart, Nasdaq is about powering capital markets everywhere and connecting businesses together. Kelsey shares some behind-the-scenes glances at how Nasdaq manages social media and bespoke celebrations for businesses that go public. We also hear how her team manages remote working, both as a global team and working with the challenges of the pandemic. In This Episode: 6:20 – Kelsey describes what it’s like working for Nasdaq 8:48 – Who the primary audience of Nasdaq’s social media is and how they’re targeted 11:40 – How Nasdaq’s social team collaborates with different businesses 15:06 – Kelsey walks us through how her team plans campaigns 20:37 – How storytelling fits into Nasdaq’s social media strategy 25:17 – How Kelsey manages and coordinates sensitive information with news broadcasters 29:36 – Nasdaq’s TikTok ventures and how Kelsey broached the topic with the legal team 33:02 – Nasdaq’s approach to mapping out content throughout the year 38:40 – Kelsey’s tips and experiences of working remotely for Nasdaq 42:41 – Kelsey’s top tip for anyone wanting to become a social pro Resources Get the new State of Marketing report for free from Salesforce Download the Social Media Metrics template from Supermetrics Visit SocialPros.com for more insights from your favorite social media marketers.

Jenn Herman, Instagram Expert at Jenn’s Trends, joined the Social Pros Podcast in 2020 to share her top Instagram strategies and insights into how Instagram has changed (and hasn’t) over the past few years. Huge thanks to our amazing sponsors for helping us make this happen. Please support them; we couldn't do it without their help! This week: Salesforce Marketing Cloud Supermetrics Full Episode Details Over the past decade, Instagram has earned its place as one of the most popular social media platforms of all time. With more than a billion users, it’s a go-to source for visual content, entertainment and also forms a key part of modern marketing strategies. Jenn Herman, Instagram whizz and co-author of "The Ultimate Guide to Social Media Marketing," discusses how while Instagram has been through a lot of changes, ultimately, the strategies remain the same. What worked two years ago will probably still work. It just may need a little tweaking. In this revisited "Best Of" episode of Social Pros, we’re looking back at our conversation with Jenn on the best Instagram strategies. Jenn takes us through the changes she’s seen over the years on Instagram and how businesses can continue to keep up and leverage the platform to reach new audiences. In This Episode: 5:26 – Jenn explains how she came to co-write "The Ultimate Guide to Social Media Marketing" 7:25 – How Instagram hasn’t really changed despite new features 9:10 – Why Jenn thinks we should post TikTok content on Instagram Reels 12:43 – The best ways to create authentic Reels 15:30 – How to decide the best time to post serious vs. light-hearted content 18:10 – How social media usage has increased during the pandemic 22:08 – Jenn’s prediction for Instagram’s future sharing features 24:25 – Jenn talks about how she managed to co-write and promote her book during the pandemic 30:58 – The challenge of writing about a “moving target” like social media 35:15 – Jenn’s top tip for becoming a social pro Resources Get the new State of Marketing report for free from Salesforce Download the Social Media Metrics template from Supermetrics Learn more about Jenn’s Trends Read “The Ultimate Guide to Social Media Marketing” Read Jenn’s book, “Instagram For Business For Dummies” Read Jenn’s book, “Instagram For Dummies” Visit SocialPros.com for more insights from your favorite social media marketers.

Joseph Jaffe, host and showrunner of the “Joseph Jaffe is not Famous” show (formerly CoronaTV), joins this episode of Social Pros to share his insights and tips on creating a successful livestream show. Huge thanks to our amazing sponsors for helping us make this happen. Please support them; we couldn't do it without their help! This week: Salesforce Marketing Cloud Supermetrics Full Episode Details What does it take to run a successful daily livestream show? Joseph Jaffe, host and showrunner of the “Joseph Jaffe is not Famous” show (formerly CoronaTV), joins this episode of Social Pros to take us behind the scenes. Joseph has been consistently creating content every day, Monday through Thursday, for a show that aims to spread hope, positivity, optimism, “and if there's time left over, a lil bit of marketing.” He explains why content consistency is “branding 101” and why you should commit to a new livestreaming venture for a minimum of two years. Joseph shares how he got started and what his plans are for the future of his show. He also explores the importance of community, why he considers his fans “family,” and why he’s made a commitment to diversity on his shows. In This Episode: 5:32 – Why Joseph chose a daily livestream show format 8:11 – Why Joseph chose to create videos rather than a podcast 10:30 – How to stream across multiple social platforms 13:14 – How "Joseph Jaffe is not Famous" has evolved over the past year 16:49 – The delicate balance of interacting with viewers and managing a community 19:44 – How the livestreaming format produces a different type of energy and audience engagement 21:49 – Why Joseph focuses not on data but the quality of his content 26:50 – Joseph’s approach to marketing his show and using the subscription model 30:48 – How Joseph plans to repurpose his existing content during his hiatus 34:44 - Who should and shouldn’t commit to a daily livestream show 40:40 – Committing to a livestream show as an individual vs. as a business 42:52 – Joseph’s top tip for those looking to become a social pro Resources Get the new State of Marketing report for free from Salesforce Download the Social Media Metrics template from Supermetrics Visit SocialPros.com for more insights from your favorite social media marketers.

Katie Cavender, Assistant Director of Communications at College Football Playoff, joins this Social Pros episode to share how to manage busy social media channels for college football. Huge thanks to our amazing sponsors for helping us make this happen. Please support them; we couldn't do it without their help! This week: Salesforce Marketing Cloud Supermetrics Full Episode Details What does the social media team behind College Football Playoff look like? Katie Cavender, Assistant Director of Communications at College Football Playoff, joins this episode of Social Pros to give us an insight into her day-to-day role. Katie manages to coordinate content with different schools, universities, ESPN, and more in what sounds like a whirlwind of responsibility. Despite this, her social media team has only 19 members to keep on top of things. Katie shares exactly how she and her team manage coverage throughout the football season that both resonates and informs fans. She talks about how you should always be authentic on social and encourage a dialogue wherever possible. “Social is called social for a reason,” after all. In This Episode: 6:11 – An introduction to College Football Playoff 8:38 – The strategic role of social media within college football 11:02 – How Katie manages social media with such a small team 12:49 – How College Football Playoff collaborates with ESPN 13:57 – Katie’s approach to managing social media throughout the year 18:46 – The challenges of collaboration and coordination with different teams 22:40 – How Katie’s team keeps up with all the changes in College Football Playoff 25:37 – How College Football Playoff could preserve archived footage 29:59 – Katie’s role in social care and customer service on social media 32:38 – The social content that Katie most enjoyed 37:06 – What Katie looks for when hiring for the College Football Playoff social team 39:10 – How the pandemic has changed the way organizations communicate with the public 41:47 – Katie’s top tip for becoming a social pro Resources Get the new State of Marketing report for free from Salesforce Download the Social Media Metrics template from Supermetrics Visit SocialPros.com for more insights from your favorite social media marketers.

Tamsen Webster, Founder and Chief Message Strategist of Find the Red Thread, joins this episode of Social Pros to talk about storytelling and problem-solving with social media. Huge thanks to our amazing sponsors for helping us make this happen. Please support them; we couldn't do it without their help! This week: Salesforce Marketing Cloud Supermetrics Full Episode Details What is the best way to create a message and narrative that truly resonates with your audience? Tamsen Webster, Founder and Chief Message Strategist of Find the Red Thread, says it’s about answering their real questions. In business, many of us think we have solutions to our audience’s problems. We try to work backward and squeeze it into our audience’s story. But Tamsen says we should take a step back. We need to solve the problems our audience thinks it has first, even if we believe it’s something different. Tamsen is a big believer in creating a story in your marketing and social media, an idea she explores in detail in her book "Find Your Red Thread." In this episode of Social Pros, Tamsen shares her thoughts on making your ideas shine, why storytelling is so important, and how you can deliver real solutions that audiences want. In This Episode: 6:08 – What Tamsen means by wanting to “build the story that people would tell themselves” 8:00 – How organizations often lose sight of their brand narrative 9:43 – Why people resonate with the phrase “once upon a time” 12:13 – What a MacGuffin is and why you always need it to pay off in the end 14:27 – Why organizations need to determine who their idea is for 18:44 – Why Tamsen believes you shouldn’t try to plant an idea or manipulate your audience 22:27 – How to pitch an idea in an organization 26:18 – Tamsen’s approach to getting a new idea in motion 31:20 – How to avoid patronizing your audience with your solutions 32:18 – Tamsen’s advice for social pros on how to construct your ideas 34:27 – How Tamsen has changed her approach to social 40:27 – How organizations can change their messaging in the pandemic 44:32 – Tamsen’s top tip for those wanting to become a social pro Resources Get the new State of Marketing report for free from Salesforce Download the Social Media Metrics template from Supermetrics  Visit SocialPros.com for more insights from your favorite social media marketers.

Duane Brown, Founder & Head of Strategy at Take Some Risk Incorporated, joins the Social Pros Podcast to talk about paid social, marketing agencies, and the future of social. Huge thanks to our amazing sponsors for helping us make this happen. Please support them; we couldn't do it without their help! This week: Salesforce Marketing Cloud Upfluence Supermetrics Full Episode Details What does the future look like for paid social? Is there still a place for organic? Duane Brown, Founder & Head of Strategy at Take Some Risk Incorporated, discusses his take on paid social. In this episode of Social Pros, Duane describes his agency’s approach to social and how he deals with client requests and budgets. He also gives us some insight into how the pandemic affected things in social media across the board. Duane shares his thoughts on experimenting and trying new things. He says it’s impossible to know what will or won’t work unless you try it. He describes some top mistakes people make with paid social and what his agency does to help clients understand paid advertising better. In This Episode: 6:33 – Duane talks about his agency and the type of customers he works with 8:51 – The trends Duane has noticed in paid social across the pandemic 11:39 – The areas that Duane’s clients need the most help with 13:41 – How some clients focus on the big picture in social 15:11 – The best ways to shift clients’ mindsets 17:21 – The most overlooked opportunities clients miss in paid social 19:11 – The trends in how digital agencies work with their clients 22:12 – How to answer complex questions from clients 25:07 – Duane’s advice for other agencies 27:06 – Why agencies come to Duane for help and advice 29:01 – What Duane predicts the next year will look like after the pandemic 31:42 – Why there’s still room for organic in marketing 33:43 – Duane’s advice for TikTok advertising 35:55 – Which formats work better on paid TikTok and other platforms 37:53 – Duane’s top tip for becoming a social pro 38:40 – Who Duane would choose for a special video call Resources Get the new State of Marketing report for free from Salesforce Download Upfluence’s Brand Influence Ranking Report Download the Social Media Metrics template from Supermetrics Visit SocialPros.com for more insights from your favorite social media marketers.

Tiara Christian, Head of EMEA Social Media, PR at Google, joins the Social Pros Podcast to chat about how Google localizes content worldwide to stay super relevant. Huge thanks to our amazing sponsors for helping us make this happen. Please support them; we couldn't do it without their help! This week: Salesforce Marketing Cloud Upfluence Supermetrics Full Episode Details No one quite does "global" like Google. But how does such a mammoth in the online world stay relevant and targeted across different countries, languages, and cultures? Tiara Christian, Head of EMEA Social Media, PR at Google, explains just how Google pulls it off. In this episode of the Social Pros podcast, Tiara discusses how Google approaches local messaging to make content hyperlocal and relevant to all types of audiences. She takes us through what it’s like to work at Google, how collaboration across departments works, and how she manages working as a mighty team of one. Tiara also reveals details about how Google uses data to understand what users really care about and want to see. In This Episode: 5:56 – How Tiara balances local messaging with Google’s needs 8:11 – The strategies behind localizing content 9:50 – How Tiara coordinates with a huge company like Google 12:37 – Tiara takes us through one of her biggest campaigns at Milan Fashion Week 15:56 – How Google uses data to understand what people care about 19:35 – How Tiara operates as a mighty team of one 22:33 – One piece of advice for those agencies supporting big clients 24:31 – How Tiara balances content creation with social listening and engagement 27:03 – Advice on working with ambassadors 30:21 – Tiara explains what it’s like working for Google 35:30 – Tiara’s advice for those who want to engage with audiences outside the U.S. 38:16 – Tiara’s top tip for anyone looking to become a social pro 40:01 – Who Tiara would pick for a video call Resources Get the new State of Marketing report for free from Salesforce Download Upfluence’s Brand Influence Ranking Report Download the Social Media Metrics template from Supermetrics Visit SocialPros.com for more insights from your favorite social media marketers.

Joe Galbo, Social Media Specialist at the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission, joins the Social Pros Podcast to chat about social strategy and public safety messages. Huge thanks to our amazing sponsors for helping us make this happen. Please support them; we couldn't do it without their help! This week: Salesforce Marketing Cloud Upfluence Supermetrics Full Episode Details How do you spread an important safety message over social media? Should you stay serious or make it a bit more fun? It all depends on the audience, timing, subject matter, and a whole host of other things. Joe Galbo, Social Media Specialist at the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission (USCPSC), describes his process for crafting messages that engage and resonate. Joe shares how the USCPSC balances serious messaging with fun and inventive graphic design to get the message across in the best way possible. You’ll also hear some of the strategies around notorious internet trends like laundry pod consumption and more. Joe also discusses his approach to social media in general and why it’s vital to always keep learning and developing your skills. In This Episode: 5:32 – Joe explains what the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission does 7:04 – Joe names a few examples of his favorite USCPSC graphics 9:40 – How the USCPSC became very graphic-focused in its messaging 12:38 – The balance between making serious life-saving messages fun vs. serious 18:20 – Why Joe would love his strategies to be tested to see how successful they are beyond the social sharing aspect 19:10 – How the USCPSC collaborates with broadcast media to share important safety messages 22:07 – What the approval process looks like for new content 27:10 – How the USCPSC approaches social listening to keep on top of potentially dangerous internet challenges 31:26 – Why Joe believes you should always try out new social media channels 34:00 – Why you always need a vision for what you want to achieve in a government agency 38:50 – Joe’s advice for dealing with intentionally spread misinformation on social media 43:32 – Joe’s one tip for anyone looking to become a social pro 46:33 – Why Joe would pick Guillermo del Toro to have a video call with Resources Get the new State of Marketing report for free from Salesforce Download the Social Media Metrics template from Supermetrics Download Upfluence’s Brand Influence Ranking Report Visit SocialPros.com for more insights from your favorite social media marketers.

Sabrina Callahan and Mark Quine from Sam’s Club join Social Pros in part five of the five-part Social Pros Deep Dive series into Sam’s Club. Huge thanks to our amazing sponsors for helping us make this happen. Please support them; we couldn't do it without their help! This week: Salesforce Marketing Cloud SocialMedia.org Upfluence Supermetrics Full Episode Details The Sam’s Club Deep Dive is a new five-part series that explores how social media teams run their day-to-day operations over several episodes instead of just one. Social Pros interviewed several Sam’s Club social team members to learn the secrets of their success. Other than direct feedback or surveys, nothing quite captures the opinion of customers like social media can. Social media can provide a window into the minds of customers. It can help brands understand where they’re going right or wrong and what customers really want. That’s why Sam’s Club takes social listening so seriously. In this episode of the Social Pros Deep Dive into Sam’s Club, Social Pros speaks again with Sabrina Callahan, Senior Director of Brand and Social Marketing, and Mark Quine, Director of Social and Brand Media. They discuss the importance of social listening and how Sam’s Club responds to social opinion so quickly and effectively. Mark then discusses Sam’s Club’s approach to paid social and which strategies work best for the club. All five episodes are out now, so get ready to binge! As this is a brand-new series, we’d love to hear some feedback on what you think of the Social Pros Deep Dive. Please share any thoughts you have by emailing Jay directly. In This Episode: 6:06 – Sam’s Club’s philosophy around social listening 8:18 – Why Sam’s Club has a member insights team 10:37 – How Sam’s Club measures and tracks customer sentiment on social 11:55 – How the social team translates its metrics for other departments 16:06 – How Sam’s Club introduced ‘Hero Hours’ during the pandemic after social posts went viral 21:47 – How Sam’s Club distinguishes between signal vs. noise 25:37 – Which channels Sam’s Club values the most for its insights 29:03 – The role of paid social in Sam’s Club 29:52 – How Sam’s Club measures the success of paid social 31:21 – How Mark tries to establish real causation and correlation in paid social 32:10 – How the social team keeps things consistent by working closely with the digital marketing teams 36:59 – Sam’s Club’s methods and strategies around boosting social posts 38:27 – Mark’s thoughts on which creative ad formats perform best for Sam’s Club 44:26 – Mark’s number one tip for becoming a social pro Resources Get the new State of Marketing report for free from Salesforce Download Upfluence’s Brand Influence Ranking Report Download the Social Media Metrics template from Supermetrics Visit SocialPros.com for more insights from your favorite social media marketers.

MacKenzie McCarver and Tina Parker from Sam’s Club join this episode of Social Pros for part four of the five-part Social Pros Deep Dive series. Huge thanks to our amazing sponsors for helping us make this happen. Please support them; we couldn't do it without their help! This week: Salesforce Marketing Cloud Upfluence Supermetrics Full Episode Details The Sam’s Club Deep Dive is a new five-part series offers a detailed look into how a big business manages social strategies, scheduling, business growth, community, and more. For many, social media is the first port of call for customers with questions or complaints. It’s often the fastest way a brand can directly contact its customers. This means that businesses, big or small, need to think about how they approach customer care on social. With a big business such as Sam’s Club, this operation is a lot more elaborate. Find out how in this episode of Social Pros Deep Dive. In part four of five, Social Pros speak with MacKenzie McCarver and Tina Parker – key members of the social media team at Sam’s Club. Director of Social Media, MacKenzie, is back from our talk in part three, this time joined by Tina Parker, Associate Director of Brand and Social Marketing. They discuss Sam’s Club’s refreshingly proactive take on customer care, the best way to interact over social media, and how the club celebrates its brand ambassadors. All five episodes are out now, so get ready to binge! As this is a brand-new series, we’d love to hear some feedback on what you think of the Social Pros Deep Dive. Please share any thoughts you have by emailing Jay directly at [email protected]. In This Episode: 5:52 – How Sam’s Club resources social media customer care 6:50 – The multiple customer care levels and how they work 8:02 – What Tina looks for in a social customer care agent 9:29 – Sam’s Club’s unique approach to customer interactions 11:46 – How Sam’s Club responded to the pandemic challenges 13:26 – Which platforms Sam’s Club focuses on the most for customer interactions 14:35 – How social empowered people during the pandemic 16:55 – The unique tool Sam’s Club uses for local social updates 17:51 – How Sam’s Club balances public versus direct message responses 18:47 – Why Sam’s Club prioritizes real responses over automated messages 21:44 – How proactive Sam’s Club agents are in responding to customers 24:30 – How Sam’s Club deals with customers who make complaints across different channels and mediums 27:57 – What measurements of success look like at Sam’s Club 29:55 – How Sam’s Club prepares for the event of a social media crisis 31:43 – Tina’s take on “if there’s three, there’s more” when it comes to customer complaints 33:20 – The process Sam’s Club follows to communicate issues at a higher level 35:28 – How Sam’s Club celebrates brand ambassadors and fans on social 38:45 – Tina’s one tip for becoming a social pro 39:12 – Who MacKenzie would love to have a video call with Resources Get the new State of Marketing report for free from Salesforce Download Upfluence’s Brand Influence Ranking Report Download the Social Media Metrics template from Supermetrics Visit SocialPros.com for more insights from your favorite social media marketers.

MacKenzie McCarver and Hunter Wuensche from Sam’s Club join this episode of the Social Pros podcast in part three of a five-part Social Pros Deep Dive series. Huge thanks to our amazing sponsors for helping us make this happen. Please support them; we couldn't do it without their help! This week: Salesforce Marketing Cloud Upfluence Supermetrics Full Episode Details The five-part Sam’s Club Deep Dive series looks closely at how big businesses manage social media, covering all the strategies, methods, and team dynamics over not one but five episodes. The series kicks off with Sam’s Club, the beloved wholesale membership club. Social media has a way of bringing people together, and that’s what Sam’s Club is all about. The social media team at Sam’s Club has ballooned in size over the past few years, and it’s transformed the way it approaches social media. In part three of five episodes in the Sam’s Club Deep Dive series, Social Pros talks to MacKenzie McCarver and Hunter Wuensche about creating community through social media. MacKenzie is the Director of Social Media, and Hunter is the Social Media Manager at Sam’s Club. They share how Sam’s Club creates a community, both within its own team and its members, through social care, user-generated content, and influencer marketing. You’ll also hear how MacKenzie and Hunter’s roles fit into the team and how they impact the day-to-day social strategies at Sam’s Club. In This Episode: 5:00 – What the day-to-day social media strategies look like at Sam’s Club 6:44 – Reaching different types of Sam’s Club customers on social 7:52 – The ‘Happy Host’ segment that Sam’s Club focuses on 8:46 – Collaboration between the social team and different departments 10:06 – How influencer marketing fits in with the rest of the social strategy 13:45 – Sam’s Club’s methods for finding influencers to work with 16:35 – How Sam’s Club manages an editorial calendar across the states 18:57 – The process behind creating organic social posts 21:26 – The best type of visual content for Sam’s Club 23:34 – How Sam’s Club encourages employee-generated content (EGC) 24:54 – The tool that Sam’s Club uses to manage EGC for Facebook posts 27:10 – Why the social team works closely with operations, HR, and legal for EGC 28:40 – Sam’s Club’s approach to brand-to-brand interactions 30:43 – How the team uses trends and hashtags as part of its campaigns 34:27 – MacKenzie’s tip for those wanting to become a social pro 37:09 – Who Hunter would love to have a video call with Resources Get the new State of Marketing report for free from Salesforce Download Upfluence’s Brand Influence Ranking Report Download the Social Media Metrics template from Supermetrics Visit SocialPros.com for more insights from your favorite social media marketers.

Natalie Hite, Associate Director of Brand Marketing at Sam’s Club, joins the Social Pros Podcast in part two of a five-part Social Pros Deep Dive series. Huge thanks to our amazing sponsors for helping us make this happen. Please support them; we couldn't do it without their help! This week: Salesforce Marketing Cloud Upfluence Supermetrics Full Episode Details In this five-part Deep Dive into Sam’s Club, we look at how their busy team executes its social media strategy. For an insider look at how Sam’s Club’s social media team operates, each episode features a different social team member. They speak a bit about their role and how they fit into the now-huge social media team at Sam’s Club. What makes the Sam’s Club brand so unique? In the previous episode of the Social Pros Deep Dive series, Sabrina Callahan spoke about how she focused on getting the brand right before anything else. In this episode, part two of the Deep Dive series, Natalie Hite, shares more details about what makes the Sam’s Club brand so special – and how social media fits into that. She talks about why “brand storytelling has been our primary objective.” Natalie discusses how vital connection, communication, and brand storytelling are to Sam’s Club and how her role as Associate Director of Brand Marketing helps drive results. All episodes of this series are out now, ready to binge! As this is a brand-new series, we’d love to hear some feedback on what you think of the Social Pros Deep Dive. Please share any thoughts you have by emailing Jay directly at [email protected]. In This Episode: 5:38 – Where Natalie’s role fits into the Sam’s Club team 6:55 – Natalie’s experience of watching the social team grow so quickly 8:43 – What Sam’s Club’s brand promise is and what it means 10:02 – How Natalie adapted from traditional media to social 13:02 – How social media became the quickest way to communicate with members 13:36 – Why Sam’s Club takes a “social-first approach” 15:50 – How the Sam’s Club social media team collaborates with other departments 18:15 – Natalie’s take on traditional vs. social media 19:39 – How Sam’s Club targets many different customer types with its content 22:43 – How Sam’s Club taps into the ethos of different audiences by asking for feedback 25:47 – Why Sephora and Ben & Jerry’s are “north stars” for Sam’s Club 28:00 – How Sam’s Club uses storytelling to resonate with audiences 31:34 – How the Sam’s Club vendors get involved with Sam’s Club’s social pushes 34:30 – Natalie’s top tips for becoming a social pro 37:43 – Natalie shares who she’d love to have a video call with Resources Get the new State of Marketing report for free from Salesforce Download Upfluence’s Brand Influence Ranking Report Download the Social Media Metrics template from Supermetrics Visit SocialPros.com for more insights from your favorite social media marketers.

Sabrina Callahan, Senior Director of Brand and Social Marketing at Sam’s Club, joins the Social Pros Podcast as the first guest in a brand-new series called Social Pros Deep Dive. This series takes a closer look at businesses’ social strategies, explored over several episodes. Social media has become so important and complex that trying to summarize it in just one episode means leaving out a lot of detail. To kick things off, series one focuses on Sam’s Club, the much-loved wholesale membership club. The Sam’s Club Deep Dive is a five-part series that puts social media at Sam’s Club under the microscope. Tune in as Social Pros interviews different team members over five episodes to find out how the busy team operates their social media strategy. Huge thanks to our amazing sponsors for helping us make this happen. Please support them; we couldn't do it without their help! This week: Salesforce Marketing Cloud Upfluence Supermetrics Full Episode Details When done right, social media can have a remarkable effect on company growth. A great example of this is Sam’s Club, the popular wholesale membership club. Sam’s Club dramatically expanded its social media team from just two to 50 employees and has seen growth and engagement skyrocket. In part one of five episodes in the Sam’s Club Deep Dive series, Social Pros speaks to Sabrina Callahan, Senior Director of Brand and Social Marketing. Sabrina discusses what it takes to run a growing social media team and how she handles all the moving pieces. She describes how Sam’s Club structures its social team and campaigns, plus its future plans. Sabrina also introduces us to some of the other cast and characters in the Sam’s Club social team, who will join the podcast over the next few episodes. All five episodes are out now, so get ready to binge! As this is a brand-new series, we’d love to hear some feedback on what you think of the Social Pros Deep Dive. Please share any thoughts you have by emailing Jay directly at [email protected]. In This Episode: 7:00 – Why Sam’s Club expanded the social team so rapidly 9:48 – The importance of having an advocate in your company for social media 11:25 – How the Sam’s Club social team is structured 19:10 – Sabrina shares what qualities she looked for when hiring the social team 24:25 – Why Sabrina focused on building the brand identity, then the social channels 27:54 – How a member’s experience differs between digital and brick-and-mortar shopping 30:15 – What Sam’s Club got right with its COVID-19 approach and messaging 35:54 – Sam’s Club’s primary goal with social media 39:15 – How the pandemic affected Sabrina as a social pro 43:09 – Sabrina’s top tip for social pros 44:50 – Who Sabrina would love to have a video call with Resources Get the new State of Marketing report for free from Salesforce Download Upfluence’s Brand Influence Ranking Report Download the Social Media Metrics template from Supermetrics Visit SocialPros.com for more insights from your favorite social media marketers.

Jay Maldonado, Director of Social Media at SurveyMonkey, joins the Social Pros Podcast to discuss how brands can create an agile social media plan that is also socially conscious. Huge thanks to our amazing sponsors for helping us make this happen. Please support them; we couldn't do it without their help! This week: Salesforce Marketing Cloud Upfluence Supermetrics Full Episode Details The very nature of social media is flexible and can change at any moment. That’s why it’s so important to have many tricks up your sleeve when creating a social media strategy. Jay Maldonado, Director of Social Media at SurveyMonkey, says that flexibility and wearing many hats are the keys to becoming a top social pro. In this episode of Social Pros, Jay discusses why all social media teams should have a “living doc” for their strategy that you can change when needed. He talks about why it’s important to have great leadership and a team that really believes in the power of social media. Jay also discusses why you need to be sensitive and open to learning to have genuine and authentic conversations over social media. In This Episode: 7:52 – How sometimes social pros don’t leverage social media for themselves 9:14 – How Jay manages marketing to a broad SurveyMonkey audience 11:47 – How social comes to life at SurveyMonkey 13:15 – Why all social media strategies should have a “living doc” 15:28 – How to create an agile social strategy 20:38 – How to ask the right questions in social media 22:45 – Jay’s advice for social pros to navigate important social issues 26:15 – Jay’s tips for social pros to use data better 30:33 – SurveyMonkey’s recent study into mental wellness in the workplace 33:25 – Choosing the best social media channels to market your brand 35:54 – The importance of leadership and a great team 38:32 – Jay’s one tip for becoming a social pro Resources Get the new State of Marketing report for free from Salesforce Find out more about the community at SocialMedia.org with a special form for Social Pros listeners Download Upfluence’s Brand Influence Ranking Report Download the Social Media Metrics template from Supermetrics Visit SocialPros.com for more insights from your favorite social media marketers.

Anthony Yepez, Associate Director of Social Strategy at Digitas North America, joins the Social Pros Podcast to discuss why current customers should be the center of your social media strategy. Huge thanks to our amazing sponsors for helping us make this happen. Please support them; we couldn't do it without their help! This week: Salesforce Marketing Cloud Upfluence accessiBe Full Episode Details What should you focus on most of all in social media? Is it the metrics, posting schedule, viral content…or is it the people themselves? Anthony Yepez says you should focus not just on potential customers and follower count but also on your current customers. He says that “your current customers are the gateway to prospective new customers,” and yet many businesses overlook that. Anthony, Associate Director of Social Strategy at Digitas, shares his tips for connecting with your audience and how he gets brands to succeed on social media. In this episode, he shares what he believes are common mistakes in social and why it’s so important to listen to your audience. Anthony believes you should always “have a human element to your social media” and focus on real connections above all. In This Episode: 4:12 – How working remotely has affected social media agencies 4:54 – The core elements of a successful social strategy 6:10 – How far out you can realistically plan a social strategy 7:31 – Why communication and processes are key to working remotely with clients 9:07 – Which remote communication tools Anthony and his team use 9:47 – Why you should join the Social Media Marketers (SMM) Slack group 13:41 – Anthony’s take on Clubhouse 15:54 – Which success metrics clients pay too much attention to 18:02 – When to encourage clients to join a new social media channel 23:53 – How social pros experience social media burnout 28:23 – The importance of listening to your audience 30:51 – Why Anthony thinks brands that focus on current customers do better 31:53 – The challenge of explaining social media strategies to customers 36:14 – Anthony’s tip for becoming a social pro Resources Get the new State of Marketing report for free from Salesforce Find out more about the community at SocialMedia.org with a special form for Social Pros listeners Download Upfluence’s Brand Influence Ranking Report Find out if your website is ADA & WCAG compliant with help from accessiBe Digitas’ website Visit SocialPros.com for more insights from your favorite social media marketers.

Mark Schaefer, Chief Operating Officer of B Squared Media, joins the Social Pros Podcast to discuss his latest book, Cumulative Advantage, and why it’s important to try new things and seek new opportunities. Huge thanks to our amazing sponsors for helping us make this happen. Please support them; we couldn't do it without their help! This week: Salesforce Marketing Cloud Upfluence accessiBe Full Episode Details What makes someone successful? Is it money, education, connections? Sometimes it’s hard to pinpoint the turning point in someone’s life. Mark Schaefer, Chief Operating Officer of B Squared Media, says that it’s not necessarily one thing that acts as an advantage. The initial advantage that people experience can be as simple as a singular conversation. He says that whatever this one initial advantage is can lead you down an entirely different path in your life. “If you have this original advantage…you can build unstoppable momentum.” Mark’s book, Cumulative Advantage, is based on the work of sociologist Dr. Robert Merton. It follows the idea that those who have some advantage can continue to benefit from it at a much faster rate than those who don’t. Mark talks about his own experiences and advantages and how they led him to where he is today. He shares why it’s so important to try new things and find your “seam” in the status quo. In This Episode: 6:00 – What is cumulative advantage? 13:45 – How internal narratives can hold people back 16:50 – Why it’s so important to try new things 18:05 – Mark reveals why loving your own ideas too much can be a problem 19:51 – How sometimes our marketing strategy is dictated to us 20:31 – Why marketing strategy is about finding a fracture in the status quo 22:53 – Mark shares why great marketing is about nonconformity 25:34 – Why following your passion isn’t the only thing you should do 28:45 – Mark shares the idea behind a “sonic boom” 31:15 – How to build your own brand with a sonic boom 34:31 – The important balance between maintaining consistency and excellence 40:28 – How Mark defines mentorship 44:40 – Mark’s top tip for social pros Resources Get the new State of Marketing report for free from Salesforce Find out more about the community at SocialMedia.org with a special form for Social Pros listeners Download Upfluence’s Brand Influence Ranking Report Find out if your website is ADA & WCAG compliant with help from accessiBe Cumulative Advantage by Mark Schaefer Marketing Companion podcast Visit SocialPros.com for more insights from your favorite social media marketers.

Alisa Meredith, Pinterest Product Specialist & Marketing Manager at Tailwind, joins the Social Pros Podcast to talk about how brands can use Pinterest to reach new audiences, drive traffic, and scale their businesses. Huge thanks to our amazing sponsors for helping us make this happen. Please support them; we couldn't do it without their help! This week: Salesforce Marketing Cloud Upfluence accessiBe Full Episode Details Have you thought about using Pinterest for business? If not, it’s time to step up and supercharge your presence on Pinterest. 459 million people use Pinterest each month, that’s a huge audience and Pinterest’s growth isn’t slowing down any time soon. Alisa Meredith, Pinterest Product Specialist & Marketing Manager, at Tailwind, states that 97% of Pinterest searches are unbranded. This means that 97% of referring traffic from Pinterest is new traffic, which is a massive opportunity for brands to reach new people, increase traffic and drive conversions. Pinterest is a powerful platform for reaching traditional demographics and new audiences as the platform continues to grow. Alisa is a Pinterest expert. In this episode, she reveals how social media practitioners can leverage the platform to create and share incredible pins that speak to their audience. In This Episode: 05:06 – How Alisa would describe Pinterest to beginners 06:20 – Why it’s so important to get your pin on as many boards as possible 07:18 – Whether success on Pinterest is based on what industry you’re in 08:53 – How Pinterest can drive a new audience to your business 11:01 – Why Pinterest lacks data insights and analytics 13:52 – How the demographics of the average Pinterest user is changing 16:40 – What Tailwind Create is and how it works 18:59 – How to find the sweet spot when it comes to uploading new pins 22:00 – How brands can use Pinterest Paid Ads 23:48 – What works and what doesn’t work on Pinterest 28:20 – How B2B brands are leveraging Pinterest 30:03 – Key mistakes to avoid when using Pinterest for business 34:18 – The importance of production value 37:43 – Whether brands really need a content philosophy that includes everything (images, videos, stories, etc.) Resources: Get the new State of Marketing report for free from Salesforce Find out more about the community at SocialMedia.org with a special form for Social Pros listeners Download Upfluence’s Brand Influence Ranking Report Find out if your website is ADA & WCAG compliant with help from accessiBe Learn more about Tailwind Check out Alisa Meredith’s website Visit SocialPros.com for more insights from your favorite social media marketers.

Jason Keath, the Founder and CEO of Social Fresh, joins the Social Pros Podcast to discuss the Social Fresh Conference and tips to keep your social media fresh and innovative. Huge thanks to our amazing sponsors for helping us make this happen. Please support them; we couldn't do it without their help! This week: Salesforce Marketing Cloud Upfluence accessiBe Full Episode Details If you’re a social media professional, you’re probably familiar with the pressure from superiors to increase followers on multiple social media platforms. But how important is a brand’s follower count? Jason Keath, the Founder and CEO of Social Fresh, claims that it’s not about numbers, it’s about quality – “what we try to pay more attention to these days is not necessarily the number of followers or engagement that we’re getting with content, but the quality and relevance of it.” It’s time for brands and social media professionals to go after the true north star, which isn’t how many followers you have, but the quality & engagement of those followers. Social Fresh is a social media training and analysis company with the goal to inspire and support the social media industry. The Social Fresh Conference is the longest running conference in the social marketing industry and if you thought a global pandemic would get in its way, think again! The Social Fresh Conference is virtual this year and if you want tickets, listen in closely for a special discount code to attend the conference! In This Episode: 05:15 – Jason reveals everything you need to know about the upcoming Social Fresh Conference 06:22 – How Jason got into this business and why he’s still doing it 10:11 – How moving to virtual has changed things like speaker selection, creating content experiences, and marketing the event 12:36 – What today’s participants at Social Fresh expect to learn or gain from attending the event 15:06 – How recruiting speakers has changed 18:42 – Tips for anyone trying to bring people together via virtual events 23:49 – Jason talks about the Instagram Templates Project 27:48 – How marketing agencies have adjusted to the new normal 29:58 – Jason shares the tale of two tweets 33:37 – What frustrates Jason about the current state of social 36:26 – Jason shares his prediction for the future of Clubhouse Resources Get the new State of Marketing report for free from Salesforce Find out more about the community at SocialMedia.org with a special form for Social Pros listeners Download Upfluence’s Brand Influence Ranking Report Find out if your website is ADA & WCAG compliant with help from accessiBe Learn more about the upcoming Social Fresh Conference Visit SocialPros.com for more insights from your favorite social media marketers.